PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Tear’a Laudermill scored 20 points on Wednesday night, and No. 16 Nebraska used a big second-half run to pull away from Washington State 82-61.

A few minutes into the second half, Nebraska (3-0) started a 19-2 run, turning a two-point lead into a 59-40 advantage on Allie Havers’ layup with 10:35 left.

Washington State (2-1) was unable to recover and the Huskers avenged a 76-72 loss to the Cougars last year in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Hailie Sample had 16 points, Rachel Theriot scored 14, Emily Cady added 12 and Brandi Jeffery 11. Sample and Cady also had nine rebounds and Jeffery had eight.

Washington State rallied back to a 69-59 deficit on Lia Galdeira’s layup with 3:13 left. The Cougars also fell behind in the first half but pulled even at 34-all by the break.

Shalie Dheensaw had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Galdeira scored 14 and Tia Presley 13.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Terran Petteway scored 23 points, Shavon Shields added 16 and No. 21 Nebraska shook off a sloppy first half to beat Central Arkansas 82-56 on Tuesday night.

Tai Webster had 11 of his 13 points in the second half for the Cornhuskers (2-0), who turned the game into a rout after leading their opponent from the Southland Conference by only five points shortly after halftime.

Jake Zuilhof led Central Arkansas (0-3) with 12 points. Albert Christensson had 11 points, and Jordan Howard scored 10.

The No. 16 Nebraska women’s basketball team makes its first road trip of the 2014-15 season, when the Huskers head to Pullman to battle Washington State on Wednesday night. Tip-off between the Huskers (2-0) and the Cougars (2-0) at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum is set for 10 p.m. (central).

Greg Heister and Mary Murphy will be on the television call of the game for the Pac-12 Networks, while Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will call the action on the Husker Sports Radio Network. The game can be heard live in Lincoln on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and 93.3 FM in Omaha. Free live audio is available on Huskers.com.

Both teams enter the mid-week clash after building early season momentum with impressive weekend wins. Nebraska rolled to a 100-65 win over Pepperdine in its season opener on Saturday

, scoring 100 points for the first time since beating Washington State, 107-54, on Nov. 22, 2009. The Big Red closed a successful weekend with an 83-49 run past Alcorn State on Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Washington State’s opening weekend was at least as impressive. The Cougars ran to a 76-60 win over No. 22 Dayton on Friday in Pullman, before sprinting to an 84-34 win over neighboring Idaho State back at Beasley Coliseum on Sunday. The Cougars caught the nation’s attention with Friday’s win over the Flyers, earning votes in this week’s Associated Press Poll.

The Cougars didn’t need a top-25 win to have Nebraska’s full attention. Last season, WSU upended the Huskers, 76-72 in Lincoln on Nov. 30. Guards Tia Presley and Lia Galdeira combined for 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the win. Last season, those two dynamic guards combined to average 37.5 points and 9.2 boards per game to lead Washington State to the WNIT. The duo helped WSU to a 17-17 overall record and a 9-9 Pac-12 finish. They have continued to grow under Coach June Daugherty, combining to average 46.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game on opening weekend.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
3 – Hailie Sample – 6-1 – Sr. – F – 7.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg
23 – Emily Cady – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 9.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg
1 – Tear’a Laudermill – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 13.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
13 – Brandi Jeffery – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 15.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
33 – Rachel Theriot – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 17.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Off the Bench
31 – Anya Kalenta – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 12.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg
5 – Natalie Romeo – 5-7 – Fr. – G – 6.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg
22 – Allie Havers – 6-5 – So. – C – 6.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg
34 – Jasmine Cincore – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 4.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg
2 – Kaylee Page – 6-2 – Fr. – F – 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
11 – Esther Ramacieri – 5-8 – So. – G – 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
12 – Emily Wood – 5-5 – Fr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
30 – Chandler Smith – 6-0 – Fr. – G – High School
50 – Darrien Washington – 6-2 – Fr. – F – High School
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
13th Season at NU (243-142); 25th Season Overall (438-282)

Washington State Cougars (2-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
34 – Mariah Cooks – 6-1 – Jr. – F – 6.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg
23 – Shalie Dheensaw – 6-4 – Sr. – C – 5.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg
3 – Lia Galdeira – 5-11 – Jr. – G – 22.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg
5 – Tia Presley – 5-10 – Sr. – G – 23.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg
11 – Dawnyelle Awa – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Off the Bench
12 – Taylor Edmondson – 5-11 – Jr. – G – 5.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg
22 – Pinelopi Pavlopoulou – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 4.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
0 – Ashley Bolston – 6-2 – Fr. – F – 3.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg
1 – Caila Hailey – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 2.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg
10 – Alexas Williamson – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 2.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg
15 – Ivana Kmetovska – 6-3 – So. – F – 2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
42 – Louise Brown – 6-2 – Fr. – F – 0.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg
24 – Bianca Blanaru – 6-5 – Fr. – C – 0.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Head Coach: June Daugherty (Ohio State, 1978)
8th Season at WSU (75-146); 26th Season Overall (389-360)

Huskers Begin Three-Game Pac-12 Swing with Cougars
Nebraska’s Wednesday night trek to Pullman, Wash., opens a three-game stretch of facing Pac-12 Conference foes. Following the game at Washington State, the Huskers return home to take on Utah at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Sunday, Nov. 23, at 1 p.m. Last season, NU knocked off the Utes in Salt Lake City.

The three-game Pac-12 stretch concludes on the Friday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28) when the Big Red battle the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. Tip-off between the Huskers and Bruins is set for 3 p.m. with television coverage again provided by the Pac-12 Networks. Last season, the Huskers raced to a 77-49 win over UCLA in the first-ever regular-season basketball game (men’s or women’s) at Nebraska’s Pinnacle Bank Arena. NU ended its 2013-14 season at Pauley Pavilion, falling 80-76 to BYU in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

NU to Honor 1988 Big Eight Champs vs. Utah at Devaney
Nebraska will honor the members of its 1988 Big Eight regular-season championship women’s basketball team when the Huskers return to the Bob Devaney Sports Center to face Utah on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. The game will mark the Huskers’ first game at the Devaney Center since moving into their new homecourt at Pinnacle Bank Arena for the start of the 2013-14 season. Nebraska played every home game inside the Devaney Center from 1976-77 through 2012-13, winning nearly 75 percent (388-130) of its games.

The 1988 team established the early standard for success at Nebraska, running to a 22-7 record that included an 11-3 Big Eight mark under second-year coach Angela Beck. Ten of those former Huskers are expected to return to the Devaney Center Sunday.

Maurtice Ivy, the 1988 Big Eight Player of the Year and NU’s first 2,000-point scorer, headlines the group, along with Husker great Amy Stephens. A current Husker assistant, Stephens scored 1,976 points in her four-year career. CoSIDA Academic All-Americans Stephanie Bolli and Ann Halsne, who also starred in softball for the Huskers, are expected to return along with Kim Harris, Sabrina Brooks, Amy Kramer Bullock, Pam Fiene Dubas, Melissa Sanford and Deb Hoffman. Long-time NU assistant coach and administrator Theresa Becker is also expected to attend, while Coach Angela Beck will have a special video message.

In addition to on-court recognition and HuskerVision presentations, NU will honor the Big Eight champions by donning throwback 1987-88 replica uniforms – with some added length to the shorts.
Nebraska’s white 1987-88 uniforms featured a script “Nebraska” across the jersey, with the outline of the state of Nebraska on the outside of the shorts that included a script “Huskers” and a star on Lincoln inside the state. The 1988 Huskers went a perfect 16-0 at home in their whites.

Tickets for the Utah game at the Devaney Center were not included in NU’s season-ticket package, but are available for single-game purchase at a special price of just $7 for reserved seats at Huskers.com or by calling 800-8-BIG-RED. Tickets will also be available at the Devaney Center Sunday starting at 11 a.m.

The Devaney Center was renovated and reconfigured for volleyball prior to 2013-14, reducing capacity to 7,907. The game between the Huskers and Utes will be the first college basketball game at Devaney since the renovations, but Devaney did play host to 2014 boys and girls state high school tournaments.

Huskers Have History of Home-Opening Success
Nebraska owns a history of season-opening success on the Huskers’ homecourt. Nebraska improved to 39-2 all-time in home openers, including 2-0 at Pinnacle Bank Arena, with its 100-65 victory over Pepperdine on Nov. 15, 2014. The Huskers were 35-2 all-time in season openers at the Devaney Center.

From 1981-82 through 2004-05, Nebraska won 24 straight home openers before losing to South Dakota State on Nov. 19, 2005. NU’s only other home-opening loss came to Kansas (88-56) on Nov. 21, 1980.

Nebraska has been strong in its first six home games every season. In fact, NU is 207-34 over the past 41 years in its first six home contests (.859 winning percentage), including 35-6 in the second game of the season. The Huskers stretched their Game No. 2 winning streak to 15 games with an 83-49 win over Alcorn State on Nov. 16, 2014.

Game No. 3 has traditionally provided the toughest test among the first six home contests for the Huskers, but NU has won seven straight in Game No. 3 after a 78-55 run past Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Lincoln on Nov. 21, 2013. NU improved to 34-6 all-time in game No. 4 with an 87-64 win over Southern on Nov. 24, 2013. The Big Red improved to 35-5 all-time in home Game No. 5 with a 77-42 win over UMass-Lowell on Nov. 27, 2013. The Huskers had their 16-game winning streak in home game No. 6 snapped by Washington State, 76-72, on Nov. 30, 2013.

Scouting the Washington State Cougars
Coach June Daugherty brings her Washington State team into Wednesday night’s game on the rise. The Cougars, who went 17-17 overall and 9-9 in the Pac-12 to finish seventh in the conference standings last season, are receiving votes in this week’s Associated Press Poll after a pair of impressive weekend wins.

The Cougars, who earned a trip to the 2014 Postseason WNIT, knocked off No. 22 Dayton, 76-60, in Friday’s opener in Pullman. Junior guard Lia Galdeira led the Cougars with 21 points, despite going just 5-for-17 from the field and 2-of-8 from three-point range against the Flyers. She did hit 9-of-10 free throws, while notching eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Senior guard Tia Presley added 18 points and a team-high four steals, but went just 4-of-12 and 2-of-7 from beyond the arc. She hit 8-of-12 free throws.

Taylor Edmondson had nine points off the bench, while Pinelopi Pavlopoulou pitched in eight points and six rebounds in just 12 minutes to help the Cougars overcome 31.5 percent shooting from the field as a team.

In Sunday’s rout of Idaho State, Presley caught fire with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 6-of-10 threes. Galdeira added 24 points, seven rebounds and five steals, while going 10-of-13 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.

While Washington State’s star guards have combined for 92 points in two games, the rest of the Cougar starting five has teamed to score just 29 points.

Presley, a 5-10 senior, is averaging 23.5 points, while the 5-11 Galdeira has added 22.5 points and team-bests of 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 steals through two games.

Mariah Cooks, a 6-1 junior forward, has pitched in 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds, while 6-4 senior center Shalie Dheensaw has contributed 5.5 points and 7.0 rebounds.

Dawnyelle Awa, a 5-9 junior guard, rounds out the starting five averaging just 3.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. However, Awa was a major player in last year’s win over the Huskers. Awa scored 13 points, including a pair of three-pointers, while adding five assists to spread out the Huskers.

Edmondson, who is WSU’s top player off the bench, has pitched in 5.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals this season. The 5-11 junior guard pumped in 13 points with three threes against the Big Red last season. With Edmondson leading the way, WSU’s bench outscored the Nebraska reserves, 21-4.

As a team, WSU knocked down 12-of-25 threes while going 12-of-16 from the free throw line. The Huskers went just 4-of-18 from long range, but outrebounded WSU, 48-38, on the glass. Nebraska trailed by seven at halftime and by as many as 19 points in the second half before rallying to cut WSU’s lead to 66-65. Washington State’s win was the first ever by an opponent at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

All-American Jordan Hooper led the Huskers with 24 points and 14 rebounds, but she hit just 6-of-27 shots from the field, including just 2-of-8 threes. Emily Cady added a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Hailie Sample added 11 points. Rachel Theriot and Tear’a Laudermill each pitched in 10 as all five NU starters produced double figures.

Nebraska vs. Washington State History
Nebraska owns a 4-1 lead in the all-time series with Washington State, but the Cougars came away with a win last season. NU won the first meeting in the series with a 64-56 victory on Dec. 4, 2003, in Pullman, Wash. The Big Red added a 78-61 win at the Devaney Center in Lincoln on Nov. 22, 2004. Five years to the day later, NU rolled to a 107-54 win back at the Devaney Center. The Huskers escaped from Friel Court with an 87-79 win over Nov. 22, 2010, before the Cougars picked up a 76-72 win last season at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.

Husker Hot Shots – Nebraska’s Starting Five
#23, Emily Cady, 6-2, Sr., F, Seward, Neb. (9.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.5 apg)
• One of the Big Ten’s most versatile forwards, Emily Cady earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2014. She joined Hailie Sample in sharing Nebraska’s Kathy Branchaud Most Improved Rebounder Award for the second straight season, while Cady also claimed the team’s Husker Award.

• Cady owns 23 career double-doubles, including 12 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high eight assists in NU’s season-opening win over Pepperdine, Nov. 15.

• In 2013-14, Cady tied Jordan Hooper for second in the Big Ten with 14 double-doubles, while ranking third in the league with 9.2 rebounds per game. Cady ranked 24th in scoring (12.7 ppg), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5-to-1), seventh in free throw percentage (.858), eighth in field goal percentage (.495) and 12th in assists (3.1 apg). In Big Ten games-only, Cady ranked third with a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio trailing only Husker point guard Rachel Theriot (2.7) and Iowa point guard Samantha Logic (2.2). Cady ranked eighth in conference play in assists (4.1 apg). She had eight double-doubles in 16 conference games.

• Cady owns 1,072 points, 802 rebounds, 228 assists and 110 steals. She is just the third player in Nebraska history with 1,000 points, 800 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 career steals, joining Maurtice Ivy and Anna DeForge.

• Cady ranks 10th in NU history with 86 career blocks. She needs two more to catch Casey Leonhardt (88, 2000-01) in ninth on the Husker career chart. Only seven Huskers have 100 career blocks.

• No player in Husker history has 1,000 points, 900 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocks.

• Cady ranks fifth in school history with 23 career double-doubles. She needs 17 double-doubles to match the Husker record of 40 held by Jordan Hooper (2011-14) and Kelsey Griffin (2006-10).

• Cady’s 1,072 career points rank No. 24 in Husker history. She needs just two points to catch Tina McClain (1,074, 1994-97) in 23rd and 17 points to match Nafeesah Brown (1,089, 1992-94) in 22nd on the career scoring list. Cady is 24 points away from Ann Halsne (1,096, 1988-91) in 21st and is just 29 points away from joining NU’s top 20.

• Cady ranks seventh in Nebraska history with 802 rebounds and needs two boards to catch Anna DeForge in sixth (804). She needs 198 boards to become the fifth Husker in history with 1,000 rebounds, joining Janet Smith (1,280), Hooper (1,110), Griffin (1,019) and Karen Jennings (1,000).

• The best passing forward in the Big Ten, Cady’s 102 assists led all conference forwards in 2013-14. Her 1.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio also led all players in the conference at the position. In Big Ten play, her 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio was better than every starting guard except first-team All-Big Ten point guards Rachel Theriot (Nebraska) and Samantha Logic (Iowa).

#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, Jr., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (17.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.0 apg)
• Rachel Theriot claimed preseason All-Big Ten honors in 2014-15 from both the conference coaches and media. Theriot was chosen the No. 13 player in the nation by ESPN in rankings announced on Nov. 5. She was named a fourth-team All-American (one of nation’s top 20 players) by College Sports Madness in preseason rankings.

• Theriot averaged 17.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in Nebraska’s season-opening wins over Pepperdine and Alcorn State. She hit 14-of-18 field goals (.778), including both of her threes and all four of her free throws. She also had an 8-to-3 assist-to-turnover ratio.

• Theriot earned honorable-mention All-America accolades from the Associated Press as a sophomore. She joined Jordan Hooper (2nd Team) on the AP All-America squad, marking the second straight season the Huskers had produced a pair of All-Americans (Hooper, Lindsey Moore, HM, 2013).

• Theriot earned first-team All-Big Ten honors after ranking second among the Huskers with 15.6 points per game in conference play. She also averaged a team-best 7.3 assists in Big Ten action, which ranked second in the league. Overall, Theriot finished her sophomore season with 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.

• Theriot ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten and fifth nationally with 7.1 assists per game, including 7.3 assists per game in Big Ten play. She led the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7-to-1) and ranked 17th nationally.

• Theriot finished with a Nebraska single-season record 234 assists in 2013-14, smashing the previous mark of 195 set by Meggan Yedsena (1991-92) and matched by Lindsey Moore (2012-13).
• Theriot’s 343 career assists rank eighth in Husker history. She needs 49 assists to catch Anna DeForge in seventh (392) on the career chart and 101 assists to join Nebraska’s career top five.

• Theriot produced four points-assists double-doubles in 2013-14, including 10 points and 12 assists in the Big Red’s first-round NCAA Tournament win over Fresno State. Her 12 assists were the most by a Husker in history in an NCAA Tournament game. It was the fifth time in 2013-14 she dished out 11 or more assists in a game. No other Husker has distributed 11 or more assists more than four times in a career.

• Theriot led Nebraska to its first conference tournament title as the Big Ten Tournament MVP. She averaged 18.7 points and a tournament-record 10.0 assists per game, with 30 total assists and just seven turnovers. She hit 56.4 percent of her shots, including 5-of-10 threes, and went 7-for-8 at the line.

• Theriot’s 30 assists in the Big Ten Tournament were a Nebraska single-season conference tournament record. She produced arguably the best passing game in Big Ten history in Nebraska’s Big Ten quarterfinal win over Minnesota March 7, dishing out a tournament-record-shattering 18 assists against just one turnover. The previous tournament record was 12 set by Helen Darling of Penn State against Illinois in 2000. The most assists by a Big Ten player against a Big Ten opponent came with 16 from Maggie Acuna of Illinois against Wisconsin in 2006.

• Theriot’s 18 assists were the second-most in a game in Nebraska history, trailing only 19 assists by Kathy Hawkins on Feb. 17, 1976 against Kearney State (now Nebraska-Kearney). Theriot’s assists are the most ever by a Husker against an NCAA Division I opponent, and the most in the last 37 seasons, covering nearly 1,200 games. Theriot’s 18 assists were the most in an NCAA Division I game in 2013-14.

• Over the final 15 games of 2013-14, Theriot produced six double-digit assist games. In the first 1,203 games in Nebraska history, every other Husker had combined to produce just 41 double-digit assist games.

• Theriot shot 50 percent from the field and 50 percent (25-50) from three-point range in Big Ten play as a sophomore. Her three-point shooting percentage led the Big Ten.

• Theriot finished with 25 double-figure scoring efforts in 2013-14. She now owns 32 in her career. She had a career-high 33 points in an overtime win over Minnesota (Jan. 16). She had 28 points at Utah (Nov. 15), when she added seven rebounds. She posted all six 20-point scoring games of her career in 2013-14.

• In Big Ten play, Theriot led the league with 39.5 minutes per game and her 1,204 minutes were the most played by a Husker in a season in school history, surpassing Lindsey Moore’s 1,170 in 34 games in 2012-13. Theriot went the distance 13 times in 33 games in 2013-14, including the full 45 minutes in both of NU’s overtime wins over Minnesota (Jan. 16) and Wisconsin (Feb. 5).

#1, Tear’a Laudermill, 5-9, Sr., G, Moreno Valley, Calif. (13.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.5 apg)
• Tear’a Laudermill emerged as a rising star for the Huskers to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior. She finished the season with career-best averages of 11.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while her 62 three-pointers ranked as the 10th-best season total in NU history.

• She averaged 13.0 points in just 17.0 minutes per game in Nebraska’s season-opening wins over Pepperdine and Alcorn State. She hit 10-of-19 field goals (.526) and 4-of-8 threes.

• Laudermill is Nebraska’s No. 1 active career three-point shooter with 103 makes, which ranks 10th on the Husker career list. She needs seven threes to catch Kaitlyn Burke (2008-12) in ninth with 110.

• Laudermill has produced double digits in 15 of her last 19 games, after managing double figures in just 11 of her first 77. She owns 26 career double-figure scoring games.

• Laudermill averaged 15.2 points per game over the last 17 contests of 2013-14, including the first five 20-point games of her career. She closed the season with 22 points against BYU, including 12 points in the final 2:30. She added 20 points in NU’s Big Ten semifinal win over No. 19 Michigan State and a career-high 27 points in the Big Red’s home win over No. 8 Penn State on Feb. 24.

• Laudermill tied a school record with seven threes in Nebraska’s 94-74 win over No. 8 Penn State Feb. 24, 2014. She hit her first six threes in the first half and closed the night 7-of-10 to lead Nebraska to one of the best three-point shooting nights (16-22, .727) in school history.

• Laudermill averaged 13.5 points in 2014 Big Ten play, while shooting a sizzling 44.3 percent from three-point range, which ranked fourth in Big Ten games-only. Her 2.4 three-pointers per game also tied for fifth in league action. She led the Big Red with 21 steals in conference action.

#3, Hailie Sample, 6-0, Sr., F, Flower Mound, Texas (7.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.5 bpg)
• Hailie Sample earned a spot on the 2014 Big Ten All-Defensive Team. She was Nebraska’s Defensive MVP in 2013-14 and joined Emily Cady as the Kathy Branchaud Most Improved Rebounder Award winner for the second straight season.

• Sample has started 102 consecutive games alongside Cady since the first games of their freshman season in 2011-12.

• Sample averaged 7.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in Nebraska’s season-opening wins over Pepperdine and Alcorn State. She also notched a career high with three blocked shots against Pepperdine.

• She produced her third career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the 2014 NCAA second-round game against BYU on March 24. It was her second career double-double in the NCAA Tournament and her second double-double in a three-game span, joining 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament Championship Game win over No. 23 Iowa on March 9, 2014.

• Sample averaged 7.5 points and a team-leading 10.0 rebounds in the 2014 Big Ten Tournament. Her 30 total rebounds and 16 offensive boards led the tournament.

• Sample’s 15 rebounds in the 2014 Big Ten Championship Game were a Nebraska Big Ten Tournament record and tied Nafeesah Brown (vs. Kansas, 1993, Big Eight) for the second-highest rebounding total ever by a Husker in a conference tournament game. Only Shelly Block (16 vs. Oklahoma State, 1987, Big Eight) pulled down more boards in a league tournament game than Sample.

• In the 2014 NCAA Tournament, Sample averaged 8.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game to push her season averages to 6.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She ranked 15th overall in the Big Ten in rebounding (6.4 rpg), while ranking seventh in the Big Ten on the offensive glass (2.5 rpg).

• Sample owns 15 career double-digit scoring games, including nine in 2013-14. She also owns six career double-figure rebound games, including three in 2013-14.

• Sample ranks No. 25 on the Nebraska career rebound list with 509. She needs four rebounds to catch Brooke Schwartz (513, 2007-10) in 24th and nine to match Margaret Richards (2001-04) in 23rd with 518.

#13, Brandi Jeffery, 5-7, Sr., G, Vacherie, La. (15.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg)
• Brandi Jeffery produced a breakout opening weekend to her senior season, averaging 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 24.5 minutes per game as a starter in wins over Pepperdine and Alcorn State.

• Jeffery erupted for career highs with 19 points and eight rebounds in the season-opening victory over Pepperdine on Nov. 15. Her previous career scoring high came with 12 points against both Florida State and Mississippi Valley State in November of 2011.

• Jeffery’s regular-season start in 2014-15, mirrored her production in a pair of exhibition wins, when she averaged 11.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 4.0 steals in 24.5 minutes.

• Jeffery hit 10-of-15 shots from the field, including 4-of-7 threes in NU’s first two regular-season wins. In exhibition play, she hit 9-of-17 field goals, including 2-of-6 threes.

• She entered her senior season with career averages of 3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.

• Jeffery has played in 97 career games with 11 career starts for the Huskers. All 11 starts have come in non-conference play over the last three seasons.

• One of four seniors on the roster, including Emily Cady, Hailie Sample and Tear’a Laudermill, Jeffery has helped the Huskers to a 77-25 record and three NCAA Tournaments.

• Jeffery owns 100 career assists, including five this season. She is six rebounds away from 200 in her career. She is 24 points away from 400 in her career. She owns 51 career three-pointers.

The Nebraska basketball team continues its season-opening homestand Tuesday evening, as the No. 21 Huskers welcome the Central Arkansas Bears to Pinnacle Bank Arena.

A limited number of tickets for Tuesday’s contest are available, beginning at $7, by visiting Huskers.com, calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIG RED or visiting the Pinnacle Bank Arena box office beginning Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

Live video streaming of Tuesday’s game will be carried exclusively on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app with Shawn Kenney and Rich Zvosac on the call. For more information on WatchESPN and ESPN3, visit (espn.go.com/watchespn/index). Tuesday’s game will be one of four ESPN3 broadcasts during the non-conference play.

The game will be broadcast across the state by the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network with Kent Pavelka calling the action and Matt Davison adding color commentary. The game can be heard for free on Huskers.com and available on the Huskers’ app on iOS or android devices, as well as on TuneIn Radio.

The Huskers, who remained 21st in the national polls released Monday,  got the 2014-15 season off to a good start, posting an 80-61 win over Northern Kentucky Sundayafternoon. Nebraska got a game-high 25 points from junior Terran Petteway to pace three Huskers in double figures against the Norse. Petteway went 6-of-9 from 3-point range, while David Rivers and Shavon Shields combined to go a perfect 9-of-9 from the field.

Rivers, who is the Huskers’ lone senior in the starting lineup, finished with 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting and six rebounds. The 6-foot-7 senior from Little Rock, Ark., matched his entire 2013-14 season of double figure performances. Shields was just as efficient, hitting all four shots from the floor while going 10-of-10 from the foul line, as the Huskers went 26-of-30 from the charity stripe on Sunday.

Just as important to the Huskers’ long-term success was the effort on the defensive end. Nebraska held NKU to just 36 percent shooting, including 9-of-27 from the field in the second half, and forced 13 turnovers which led to 22 points. NU also blocked seven shots, including three by Walter Pitchford and two by newcomer Moses Abraham.

Central Arkansas wraps up a three-game road swing through Nebraska on Tuesday after the Bears lost to both Creighton and UNO over the weekend.  First-year head coach Russ Pennell, who guided Arizona to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2009 as the interim coach, has a new roster with just one returning player back from 2013-14.

Numbers 2 Know

80 – Points scored by the Huskers in the season opener, which was the highest total by a Husker team to open the season since 2005.

81.5 – Percent of the Huskers’ point total which is back in 2014-15. It is the first time since 2003-04 (89.9 pct.) that the Huskers have returned at least 70 percent of the previous year’s scoring total. For comparison, NU returned 49.7 percent of its points last season  and just 24 percent entering 2012-13.

3 – Walter Pitchford’s blocked shots against Northern Kentucky, which matched his career high. He also had three against Northern Illinois on Nov. 30, 2013.

Scouting Central Arkansas

Central Arkansas comes into Tuesday’s game with an 0-2 record following losses to Creighton (104-77) and Omaha (100-75). First-year coach Russ Pennell has only one returnee – sophomore forward Ethan Lee, who comes off the bench for the Bears. He is the only sophomore on a roster which has seven freshman and three juniors.  The school, which is most known for former NBA great Scottie Pippen, completed the transition to Division I in 2010-11. Last year, UCA went 8-21 and finished 11th in the Southland Conference. With such a young roster, the Bears were picked 12th by the league’s coaches in the preseason poll.  A former player at Central Arkansas, Pennell is an experienced coach, having more than 25 years of coaching experience, serving as an assistant at Arizona State, Ole Miss and Oklahoma State.  Most recently, he led Grand Canyon College helping the school to a 72-44 record. In 2008-09, he served as the interim coach at Arizona, leading the Wildcats to 21 victories and a berth in the NCAA Sweet 16 that season.

Series History: Tuesday’s matchup will be the first-ever between the Huskers and Central Arkansas. The Huskers are 6-1 all-time against current members of the Southland Conference, and Tuesday’s game will be the first of two against schools from the league. NU takes on Incarnate Word on Dec. 10.

Last Time Out

All-Big Ten performer Terran Petteway had a game-high 25 points, including six 3-pointers, lifting No. 21 Nebraska to an 80-61 win over Northern Kentucky.  While Petteway, who connected on 6-of-9 from long range, showed an improved shooting stroke from long distance, it was the efforts and efficiency of David Rivers and Shavon Shields early on who got the Huskers going after a bumpy start.

Shields finished with 18 points, hitting all four shots from the field and going a perfect 10-of-10 from the line, while Rivers connected on all five of his shots from the field en route to scoring 12 points and grabbing six caroms.

The Huskers struggled from the floor early on, missing seven of its first eight field goal attempts to fall behind 8-2 in the opening four minutes before the veterans took over. The pair combined for points in a decisive 16-4 run to take an 18-12 lead after a Shields basket at the 12 minute mark.

Northern Kentucky was within 21-18 after a Cole Murray 3-pointer before the Huskers found their touch from long distance. Petteway’s 3-pointer with 10:57 left in the half was NU’s first make after six straight misses and jump started a 9-0 run from 3-point range, as the Huskers took a 27-15 lead after a Pitchford 3-pointer. Petteway had 16 of his 25 points in the first half, as Nebraska closed the half by hitting five of its last seven 3-pointers to push the lead to 45-30 at the break.

Northern Kentucky cut a 17-point deficit to 49-38 after an Anthony Monaco 3-pointer with 16:40 left, but would get no closer, as the Huskers took command with a 16-6 surge to push the advantage to 21, at 65-44 with 10:10 left after six straight points from Shields.

Notes from Sunday’s Win

*-Nebraska improved to 80-39 all-time in season openers and has won 14 straight openers.

*-Terran Petteway finished with a game-high 25 points, his 13th career game of at least 20 points. Petteway also had a career-high six 3-pointers, topping his previous best of four set most recently against Minnesota on Jan. 26, 2014.

*-David Rivers with 12 points, his highest total since scoring 13 against Ohio State on Feb. 2, 2013. Rivers had one game in double-figures as a junior. He went 5-of-5 from the field and added six rebounds in 27 minutes.

*-The attendance of 15,479 ranked seventh in school history and is the largest season-opener crowd in school history.

*-Nebraska has now won 10 straight games at Pinnacle Bank Arena dating back to last January and improves to 8-0 all-time against non-conference opponents at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

*-Shavon Shields finished 10-of-10 from the foul line, the third time in his career he has shot at least 10-of-10 or better from the foul line. Shields finished with 18 points on just 4-of-4 shooting.

Petteway Named to Wooden Award Preseason Top 50

Nebraska basketball standout Terran Petteway was tabbed for the Wooden Award Men’s Preseason Top 50 Monday afternoon.  Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for the sport’s most prestigious honor.

Petteway earned a spot on the list after an outstanding sophomore season where he averaged 18.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. The 6-foot-6 wing led the Big Ten in scoring – becoming the first Husker in more than six decades to lead the conference in scoring for a season – and had a pair of 30-point games on the season, including a career-high 35 points against Minnesota. He was his best against the Huskers’ toughest foes, averaging 20.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 12 games against top-50 competition to help the Huskers reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

Petteway opened the season with a game-high 25 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in Nebraska’s 80-61 win over Northern Kentucky on Sunday. Petteway is the first Husker on the preseason Wooden Award list since Aleks Maric in 2007. Petteway is one of seven Big Ten players on the Wooden Award Men’s Preseason Top 50.

Huskers as a Ranked Team

The Huskers opened the 2014-15 season in the national rankings for the first time since the 1994-95 season, as the Huskers are 21st in both the AP and coaches polls. It marks the first time since Jan. 2, 1995, that Nebraska is nationally ranked and just the second time in AP poll history and first since 1992 that the Huskers opened the season as a ranked team. Nebraska is now 35-18 when ranked all-time in program history following Sunday’s win. In addition to the AP and Coaches polls, other publications have taken notice of the Huskers as well.

Huskers Will Be Tested in 2014-15

Nebraska will be tested before the Big Ten season opens against Indiana on New Year’s Eve, as the Huskers host a pair of NCAA Tournament teams (Cincinnati and Creighton) as well as travel to Florida State, Rhode Island and Hawaii in non-conference action.

*-The five known opponents who Nebraska will face in December (Florida State, Creighton, Incarnate Word, Cincinnati and Hawaii) combined to post a 117-46 record in 2013-14. In addition, the Huskers could face No. 11 Wichita State, who went 35-1 last season, in the semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic.

*-Five Big Ten teams (Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan) are ranked in the AP preseason poll while four others (Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Maryland) are receiving votes.

*-With the Big Ten schedule, the Huskers will face five teams both home and away in 2014-15, and all five of those teams are ranked or receiving votes in the preseason AP poll (Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota and Wisconsin).

Petteway Leads Husker Returnees

Junior wing Terran Petteway comes into 2014-15 as one of the Big Ten’s premier players. The 6-foot-6 junior has been featured on several lists of top players in college basketball and was a second-team preseason All-American by The Sporting News and CBSSports.com. As a sophomore, he led the Big Ten in scoring at 18.1 points per game while adding 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest, while starting all 32 contests. Not only did he lead the Huskers in scoring, but also was second on the team in rebounding and third in assists.

Nebraska has had eight All-Americans in program history, most recently Carl McPipe during the 1977-78 season.

Petteway opened the season with the best long-distance shooting of his career, hitting 6-of-9 from 3-point range on his way to scoring a game-high 25 points against Northern Kentucky.

This season, Petteway looks to become the first player since Ohio State’s Evan Turner (2009-10) to lead the Big Ten in scoring in consecutive seasons. Over the last 30 years, only three players – Turner, Purdue’s Glenn Robinson (1993-94) and Michigan’s Glen Rice (1988-89) – have accomplished the feat.

Last season, Petteway became the first player to earn unanimous first-team all-conference honors since Venson Hamilton in 1999, and also earned first-team all-district honors by the NABC (coaches) and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (writers).

Petteway finished Big Ten play as the conference scoring leader, averaging 18.6 points per game. He became the fifth Husker in the last century to lead a conference in scoring in conference games and first since former Big Eight Player of the Year Andre Smith in 1980-81.  He also led the conference at 18.1 points per game in all games and became the first Husker since 1950 (first year the Big Seven Conference kept records) to ever lead the league in scoring for all games.

Petteway finished seventh on Nebraska’s single-season scoring list with 579 points, as only Dave Hoppen, Tyronn Lue, Eric Piatkowski, and Andre Smith have scored more points in a season. He also finished second on the Huskers’ single-season free throw list with 167.

Nebraska-Tennessee Martin Time Set for Nov. 28th

The Nebraska Athletic Department announced Monday (Nov. 16) that the Huskers men’s basketball game against Tennessee-Martin on Friday, Nov. 28, will tipoff at 7 p.m.  The start time had been listed as TBA on the schedule and game tickets until the football game kickoff time at Iowa that day had been determined.   The Nebraska-UT Martin game will be carried online by ESPN3 and broadcast on the Husker Sports Network.

Defense Keyed Second-Half Improvement

In 2013-14, the Huskers’ biggest in-season improvements came on the defensive end. The Huskers entered Big Ten play last in field goal defense and eighth in scoring defense, but dramatically improved during conference action.

Over the final 16 games of the 2013-14, NU held 10 opponents below 40 percent shooting from the field, including eight straight foes in one stretch.  The eight consecutive foes under 40 percent was the longest streak by a Husker defense in at least four decades.  The Huskers finished Big Ten play second in conference games in field goal percentage (.415) and third in scoring defense (63.4).

Nebraska has been stout at home over the last two seasons, as only three teams have shot over 45 percent against the Huskers, while 10 of 17 opponents have been held to under 40 percent shooting. Northern Kentucky shot just 36 percent.

Shields  Keys Husker Attack

While Petteway has become one of the best players in the Big Ten, the emergence of junior Shavon Shields is equally vital to the Huskers attack. The 6-foot-7 wing started all 32 games and averaged 12.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game to earn honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media. As a sophomore, Shields was second on the team in scoring and led Nebraska in rebounding.

Shields is one of four returnees to rank in the top 15 in both scoring and rebounding in Big Ten play last year, joining Frank

Kaminsky (Wisconsin), Rayvonte Rice (Illinois) and Aaron White (Iowa).

Shields has started the last 52 games dating back to the middle of his freshman season. He was exceptionally efficient in the opener, scoring 18 points on just four field goals, as he went a perfect 10-of-10 from the line. The 6-foot-7 junior had four rebounds and a pair of assists in the 19-point win.

Last season, Shields played some of his best basketball since moving to his natural wing position in February, averaging 15.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 49 percent from the field over NU’s last 12 contests. The Huskers went 8-4 over that stretch.

Shields earned Big Ten Co-Player of the Week for his efforts during the last week of the season, averaging 21.5 points per game in wins over Indiana and Wisconsin, as he had 26 points against the ninth-ranked Badgers and 17 points and eight rebounds in the win at Indiana.

His best offensive effort came against Illinois on Feb. 12, when he scored a career-high 33 points, hitting 8-of-12 shots from the field and all 15 of his free throws. Shields tied Nebraska’s single-game record for free throws without a miss and became only the 11th Big Ten player to hit at least 15 free throws without a miss and the first since 1997.

Pitchford Poses Problems for Opponents

Junior forward Walter Pitchford became one of the focal points to the Huskers’ attack in Big Ten play last season. The 6-foot-10, 237-pounder is one of the toughest matchups in college basketball, as he is a skilled shooter who hit 41 percent from 3-point range. Last season, Pitchford averaged 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while starting 31 games.

An outstanding athlete with a 42-inch vertical leap, Pitchford played some of his best basketball of the season over the Huskers’ second-half surge, averaging 11.0 points per game on 53 percent shooting over the last 14 games. Pitchford reached double figures 11 times in that stretch including a career-high 18-point effort along with five rebounds and a pair of steals in a win at No. 9 Michigan State on Feb. 16. Pitchford sparked NU’s win at Indiana with 17 points and nine rebounds, as he scored the Huskers’ first nine points and then delivered a 3-pointer with 1:55 left to give Nebraska a four-point cushion.

Pitchford was held to just three points in Sunday’s win, but found other ways to contribute during his time on the floor. He had four rebounds and matched his career high with three blocked shots in 26 minutes of work.

New Faces in Huskers’ Rotation

Despite having five returning starters and seven of the top eight players back from a year ago (counting Leslee Smith, who looks to return from knee surgery during Big Ten play), a pair of newcomers – senior Moses Abraham and freshman Tarin Smith – have found their way into the Huskers’ rotation.

*-Abraham is a graduate transfer who spent the past four years at Georgetown. He provided physicality in the wake of Leslee Smith’s injury and is the first post player off the bench. Abraham had five rebounds and a pair of blocked shots in 12 minutes against Northern Kentucky.  Last year, Abraham averaged 1.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while ranking second on the team with 23 blocked shots. The 6-foot-9, 252-pound forward earned his degree from Georgetown in May and has one year of eligibility remaining. He is the first graduate transfer the Huskers have added since the rule went into effect.

*-Smith has become one of the Huskers’ first guards off the bench during the preseason and had six points and an assist in 16 minutes of work against NKU. Smith was a two-year starter at St. Anthony (N.J.) High School, one of the premier high school basketball programs in the country playing for Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley. As a senior, he was a first-team all-state pick by the AP and a third-team honoree by the Newark Star-Ledger, as he averaged 15 points, four rebounds and four assists per game, as St. Anthony finished with a 25-5 record and a state runner-up finish.

Another freshman who could see more action as the year progresses is post player Jake Hammond. He is 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward who averaged 26.2 points, 14.8 rebounds, 5.7 blocks and 3.1 steals per game as a senior at Comanche (Okla.) High School.  He was rated as the No. 2 prospect in the state of Oklahoma by both ESPN.com and 247Sports as a senior, and was considered one of the top 150 seniors in the country by Hoop Scoop.

In addition, two other Husker newcomers will not suit up this season, as freshman B.J. Day will not play after suffering a torn ACL in practice in October, while Andrew White is sitting out the season after transferring from Kansas. White, who was a top-50 recruit coming out of high school, played two seasons at Kansas, playing behind NBA lottery picks Andrew Wiggins (2014) and Ben McLemore (2013). White was the state player of the year in Virginia in 2012, averaging 22.9 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.